We first worked with Martin Collins from Arts Trust Productions on the multi-platform release of Emancipation of Expressionism, back in 2017, and have since worked together to raise awareness and develop audiences for some brilliant projects, including two live productions for the Russell Maliphant Dance Company, a film for the BBC, and a series of 14 festivals.
Arts Trust works across different platforms and mediums to create cultural experiences for marginalised communities, and improve access to the arts, so working with Martin and his organisation has been an amazing ride so far, with some beautiful experiences.
Emancipation of Expressionism, commissioned by The Space, is an 11-minute piece of hip-hop dance theatre, from Olivier Award-winning company Boy Blue Entertainment, captured on film by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, back in 2017. This marked a seminal moment, as it was the first hip hop dance to be featured on the GCSE curriculum, and we worked on publicity and audience development for both the stand alone film, and also it’s TV premiere on BBC 2 as part of Darcey Bussell’s New Dance, a show that looked at modern dance works taking familiar genres into uncharted territory.
We continued our work with Martin on two ground breaking dance productions from The Russell Maliphant Dance Company, Silent Lines in 2019 and Vortex in 2022. Again our work here was to engage with arts and dance audiences, which included press events at Sadler’s Wells filled to capacity with national arts journalists, delivering high profile features and reviews, whilst also making the campaigns accessible to people who might not previously have considered attending a dance performance.
Vortex was filmed live at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, and broadcast on BBC Four in 2024 before moving on to BBC iPlayer; which meant we could reach a brand new audience, by devising a campaign that stepped out of the arts pages and into entertainment. This was a nice full circle moment to our original work together on Emancipation of Expressionism.
Last summer, we were back working with Arts Trust Productions once more, leading on the comms for Summer in the Park, a series of 14 free festivals running from June – September 2024 in the beautiful parks and squares of Greenwich, Bexley and Tendring. Taking their work a step further, this event series was designed to improve access to the benefits of arts and culture, whilst also addressing loneliness, plus tackling anti-social behaviour and knife crime among the local youth in the community.
The Summer in the Park campaign also achieved remarkable results and local communities turned out in their droves to contribute and take part making for a brighter summer season than the weather could provide; it went so well that we have teamed up again to work on the 2025 edition, which is even more impressive due to last year’s success, and we have just announced it to a wonderful response from the media.
The 2024 campaign created the opportunity for Martin to share Arts Trust Productions’ mission, which will also run through all comms around the 2025 festivals. We believe, as they do, that opportunity and accessibility is vital to the future of our creative culture, and for the well being of us all, so we are excited to continue to support their brilliant work.
Martin Collins said: “Working with such a passionate collaborator in Sundae Communications has been a privilege and a great source of inspiration. At Arts Trust Productions, we believe in the transformative power of the arts to connect communities and make culture more accessible. The success of projects like Emancipation of Expressionism and the Summer in the Park festivals shows the positive impact that thoughtful, inclusive programming can have. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue building these connections and making the arts a vibrant, welcoming space for all.”
Sundae x
Photos by Roswitha Chesher
